Control mechanism for conveyer systems



L. H. CARGILL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONVEYER SYSTEMS Dec. 9, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22', 1940 Laaiafi. 6'0 l3] (7 11,

Dec. 9, 1941. H. CARGILL 2,265,719

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONVEYER SYSTEMS 7 Filed April 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/VA/ Lou isli Caryzlll,

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 OFFICE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR CONVEYER I sYs'r iMs Louis H. Cargill, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 22, 1940, Serial No. 331,033

-6 Claims.

The invention relates to control devices for conveyer systems, and has for one of its objects the provision of an automatic mechanism arranged to be mounted at the junction of a plurality of intersecting conveyers, such for example, as a main and a tributary conveyer, for controlling the movements of the articles or packages carried by said conveyers to prevent interference and produce an orderly mingling of the two streams of packages or articles at the junction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control device actuated by the articles or packages themselves and arranged to so control the movement of the streams of articles or packages at the junction that when an article or package in one stream engages and actuates an arm of the device the latter will prevent an article or package approaching the junction in another stream from entering the junction until the first article or package has cleared the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control device of the class des-cribed'which is simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install, and more efiicient in use than those which have been heretofore proposed.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel details of construction and in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views: t

Figure 1 is a top plan View of one form of control device constructed in accordance with the invention, the parts being illustrated in their normal positions;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the positions assumed as an article or package in one stream actuates the device as it moves toward the intersection, to thereby prevent an article or package in another stream from entering the intersection and interfering with the first package or article;

Fig. 3- is a diagrammatic plan view, showing the control device mounted at the intersection of two article or package conveyers of the chain yp I Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the control device shown in Fig. 1,1ooking in the direction indicated by the arrow A in said figure;

' Hi, which is arranged to ,be mounted at the Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, as seen from the left of said figure; and I i Fig. 6 is a. longitudinal sectional view, taken approximately on the plane .indicated by the line 66 of Fig, 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the said drawings,.the control devicecomprises a supporting member, here shown as in the formof a plate junction of two intersecting conveyers such as l I and 52 (see Fig. 3) which conveyers, for the purpose of the present disclosure, have been illustrated as of the power-driven chain type. Such conveyers are in quite .common use for the conveying of packages, articles andthe like, and usually comprise a runway having a bottom l3 and upstanding side walls .l4 with the bottom being longitudinally slotted, to accommodate the power-driven chains 15. Since these conveyers in. themselves form .110 part of the present invention they need not be referred to morein detail, and as will bereadily'apparent from the followingdescription the device is not necessarily limited to the particular'form of conveyer shown, but may be employed with equal facility'in con-'- nection with other forms of power drivencon veyers, suchfor example as belt conveyers or even with gravity conveyers.

The plate 10 is provided with an upwardly extending stud 2!! preferably shouldered as at 2| and having journalled upon it a pair of superposed disc-like controlmembers 22 and 23 which may be retainedlin place by a nut 24 threaded upon the reduced upper end of the stud 20.

The controlmember 22 is provided with an outwardly extending lug or boss 25 into which is threaded or otherwise rigidly secured a rod or arm 26 which in the normal position of the parts illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 extends transversely across the conveyer l I preferably at least half the width of the conveyer chute or trough. The said arm 26 and its control member 22 are constantly urged towards this position by a spring 21 extending between a pin or post 28 carried by the lug or boss 25 and a post 29 rigidly carried by the base plate It). The movement of the parts under the influence of the spring is limited by means of a stop member 30 rigidly fixed to the said base plate 19.

In like manner the upper control member 23 is provided with an outwardly extending lug or boss 32 in which isrig-idly mounted a rod or arm 33 normally extending across the conveyer [2 immediately preceding the junction thereof with the conveyer l I, as will be clear from Fig. 3, such arm being normally urged to this position by means of a spring 34 anchored at one end to a pin 35 carried by the lug 32 and at the other end to a post 36 carried by the base plate Hi. The lug 32 is provided with a downward extension 38 which is adapted to engage an adjustable screw 39"threadedin a rigid upwardly extending stop post MT-which screw is adapted to be maintained in any adjusted position by means of a lock nut 4|.

The lower control member 22 is'provided on its periphery with a notch'or recess 45, and irililie manner the upper control member 23 is provided with a notch or recess 46, which recesses are alternatively engageable by rollers 41 andl48. respectively carried by the legs 49 and 50 of a substantially inverted U-shaped member 5 I which freely journalled at the junction of the said legs on a stud 52 rigidlycarried by the base plate Ill. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that when-either of the rollers 41 or 48 is seated in its corresponding recess 45 or 46 the other roller will Ice-removed from .its recess an amount suflicient thatjthe periphery of the said roller may clear a the periphery of the control member 22 'or' 23 with. which it is associated. On the other hand ,thecle'arance between such roller" and the periphery of .its associatedcontrol member is sufficiently'small'that it is notpossible for the other rollertto be moved outofits reces's, and therefore suchJseated' roller acts as-a'latch or' detent to restrainarcuate movement of its associated control member. whenever the companion control memberl ismoved from its normal position so that 23 will be brought into position to receive the roller 48 and upon the article or package on the conveyer ll starting to move the lower control member 22 the arms 49 and 50 will be shifted back toward the right to the positions shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the article on the conveyer ll may continue its travel and enter the intersection. Of course in so doing it will lock the upper control member 23 in the same manner'that the article'fifi previously locked the lower control member 22 and thereby prevent another article -traveling on the conveyer I 2 from entering the intersectionuntil after the article on the con- -veyer II has cleared the arm 26.

While one form of the invention has been illustrated and described it is obvious that those skilled in the artmay vary the details of conits associated. roller can not be seated in its recess. Thiswilluperhapslbe more clearly understood. byreferencete-"Figs. 1 and 2f Inthe former the parts-arev illustrated inftheir' normal positions with the roller 48 seated in itsrrecess 46 and the roller 4'! moved out. of. its. recess 45. If now a package or article. 69 (see FigJ Z) approach the intersection bymeansnof. thelconveyer I2 such article-brill :engage the transversely extending. arm-.33- and tend to move it; together with its associated control member! 23, in a counterclockwise direction a viewed. in'Figs. 1 and 2. Such movement willbepermissible under the conditions illustrated.- since. with the control member: 22- in-its normal positionits recess 45 is inpos-itionto receivethe roller 41 and therefore as thecontrol member 23 starts --to move in said counter-clockwise direction it will tendto unseat the roller 48*swinging the arms 59 and 49 toward; the left'as viewed in said figures and causing the roller;41 to-seat-in'the-recess 45 of the control member 22. This-seatingofthe'roller 41 will, as above explained, act as a detent against rotation of :the lower-control member 22 and it will in effectbe locked in theposition shown in'Figs. 1'- and 2 with its arm 26 extending transversely struction as well as the precise arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and thereforeitis not wished to be limited tothe above disclosure. exceptasmaybe required by the claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. Mechanism for controlling the movementotconveyer-carried articles at the junction of two intersecting conveyers, comprising a support mountableat said junction; a pair of disk-likecontrol members journaled on said support, each having a recess inits periphery and an arm normally extending into the path of articles carried by one of the conveyers, whereby .=movement of said articles may induce arcuate movement of the control member. in one direction; means pivoted on said support having a pair of legs alternatively engageable with the recesses of said controlmembers, said mea-ns being actuatable through article-induced arcua'te movement of either of said control members'to rest-rain similar movement of the other member whereby movement ofarticles by the other conveyer may be restrained'precedent the junction; and spring meansfor movingthe control members in the, opposite direction to-restore'them to their normal position when the "movement-inducing article has passed their arm, to thereby'remove the restraint imposed upon the'other control member.

2. Mechanismror controlling the. movement of "conveyer-carried articles at the junction of said control members, having a pair of legs pro I two intersecting conveyers; comprising'a support mountable "at said junction; a pair of superposed disk-like control members journaled "on said support,each having a recess in its periphery and an'arm normally extending transversely of one of the conveyers, whereby. movement of articles by said conveyer may induce arcuate' mov'ementof the control member in one direction; a member pivoted on said support adjacent vided with rollers alternatively engageable in the recesses of the control members through articleinduced arcuate movements 'of either thereof 'to across the-conveyer H as" shown. in- Fig. 3.,

uppercontrolmember 23. As soon as this occurs 1 the spring 34 willlreturn' the. control". member" 2,3-and arml 3.3.to'the positions," shown in Fig. 1,.

whereupon the recess '46 in the control member thereby restrain similar movement of the other control member; and means for automatically restoring the control members "to their normal positions when "the movement inducing article has passed their arm, whereby the restraint imposed upon thecompanion control member may be released.

3. Mechanism for 'controlling'the movement'of conveyer-carried articles at the junction of two intersecting, conveyers, comprising" a" support vmountable at saidgj'unc'tion; a 'pair'of' disk-li'ke control members journaled "on said 'supportfor arcuate movements independent of each other, each of said members having a peripheral recess and an arm disposed precedent the intersection and normally extending into the path of articles carried by one of the conveyers whereby movement of said articles may induce movement of its control member in one direction; a detent comprising a member pivotally mounted on said support adjacent the control members, having portions alternatively receivable in their recesses and also engageable with their peripheral surfaces, whereby arcuate movement of either control member from its normal position will, through said engagement, cause movement of a portion of said detent member into the recess of the other control member thereby restraining arcuate movement thereof; and means for automatically returning the displaced control member to its normal position when the movement-inducing article has passed, to thereby release the restraint upon the other control member.

4. Mechanism for controlling the movement of conveyer-carried articles at the junction of two intersecting conveyers, comprising a support mountable at said junction; a pair of disk-like control members journaled on said support for arcuate movements independent of each other, each of said members having a peripheral recess and an arm disposed precedent the intersection and normally extending into the path of articles carried by one of the conveyers whereby movement of said articles may induce movement of its control member in one direction, said recesses in the normal positions of the control members being approximately diametrically opposed; a detent comprising a substantially U-shaped member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said support adjacent said control members with its legs embracing the latter, the free ends of said legs being positioned adjacent the respective recesses and alternatively receivable therein and also engageable with the peripheral surfaces of said control members, whereby arcuate movement of either of said control members from its normal position, through coaction of its peripheral surface with one leg of said detent member, will cause the end portion of the other leg to engage the recess in the other control member, and thereby restrain arcuate movement thereof; and means for returning the displaced control member to its normal position when the movement-inducing article has passed, to thereby remove the restraint upon the other control member,

5. Mechanism for controlling the movement of conveyer-carried articles at the junction of two intersecting conveyers, comprising a support mountable at said junction; a pair of disk-like control members journaled on said support in closely adjacent superposed relation for independent movement about a common axis, each of said members having a peripheral recess and an arm disposed precedent the intersection and normally extending into the path of articles carried by one of the conveyers whereby movement of said articles may induce arcuate movement of the control member in one direction, said recesses in the normal positions of said control members being approximately diametrically opposed; a detent comprising a bifurcated member medially pivoted on said support adjacent said control members, the free end portion of each leg of said detent member being positioned adjacent the normal position of the recess of one of said control members for reception therein and being also engageable by the peripheral surface of such control member, whereby arcuate movement of either control member, through engagement of its peripheral surface with the associated leg of the detent member, will pivot the latter to cause engagement of the other leg in the recess of the other control member to thereby restrain movement thereof; and means for returning the displaced control member to its normal position when the movement-inducing article has passed, to thereby relieve the restraint upon the other control member.

6. Mechanism for controlling the movement of conveyer-carried articles at the junction of two intersecting conveyers, comprising a support mountable at said junction; a vertical stud carried by said support; a pair of disk-like control members journaled on said stud in superposed relation for independent oscillatory movements, each of said members having a peripheral recess and an arm normally extending precedent the intersection into the path of articles carried by one of said conveyers, said recesses being circumferentially spaced one from the other; a detent comprising a member pivoted upon said support adjacent the control members, having two legs one end portion of each of which is positioned adjacent the normal position of the recess of one of said control members for reception therein, and being also engageable by the peripheral surface of said control member extending from such recess, whereby arcuate movement of either of said control members, through coaction of its peripheral surface with the associated leg of the detent member, will cause the other leg of the latter to engage the recess of the other control member to thereby restrain movement thereof; and means for returning the displaced control member to its normal position when the movement-inducing article has cleared its arm, to thereby relieve the restraint upon the other control member.

LOUIS H. CARGILL. 

